Well, from what we were allowed to see of the 12 hours course... it was awesome...

My team mate, Dan & I raced the hare scramble this weekend on the site of the 12 hour race... we were told up front that it was not the full 12 hour course, & that they would be adding more option lanes on the backside yet.... Dan took 5th out of 5 in the utility class ( all 650 & 700 Prairies )... Me... I decided at the last minute to send my 650 to the shop ( not completely blown up )( needs a head gasket, & I can't keep it cool right now ), & drove our 300 Prairie ( full time 4 X 4, & set up for my wife to mud bog with )... I entered the fat old man class...LOL... took second out of 3 ... I didn't mind losing 1st to a guy on a Z 400 ( the senior class goes strickly by age, rather than the quad style )

the course was rough in a few areas, as the owner is putting a stock car track in, & they are still working around it at this time...the front side is a balance of MX sections & tight woods sections, in loose soil & sand, down by the river a steep hill, going both up & down... the back side is TIGHT woods section with alot of steep off camber hills & corners, much more challenging & technical riding... the service road is nearly complete, & will aid greatly in extraction of downed quads, & viewing of other sections of the race...

I'm infactuated with the quality of the dirt / clay on the hill on the front side, as again I got a closer look at it... I was riding my wifes 300, with the thumb extender ( don't do it man !!! )... after about 4-5 laps, I was getting comfortable enough that I was powering down the hills ( if you can power down the hills on a 300...LOL... )... at the bottom of the long steep hill in the option lane I was in, was a section that was VERY steep, near the bottom, with a jump at the very bottom... 20 feet from a sharp right turn ( you must hit the jump a just the right speed, to take the jump, & still make the turn ), I wasn't able to hook my thumb, on the handle bar & grab some brake, with out hitting that thumb throttle extender... I knew I was in trouble ... I'm not sure if I had finally grabbed too much brake & hit the jump with the nose of the quad, when the suspension squatted under hard braking, Or weather I went over the jump with the brakes on & pounded the nose... either way, I was quickly ejected over the handle bars, & at some time during the 2-3 tuck & rolls down the rest of the hill, I saw the quad rolling end over end, behind me... I was sure I was going to end up with the quad on top of me like last race, but as I laid there trying to get my wind back, ( it knocked the wind out of me at sometime during my gracefull landing )... I turned around, & the quad was sitting there ( side ways on the trail ) ... Idleing away, waiting for me to get back on... the custom aluminum front end ( put on after my wife T-boned a tree last year ), was unfazed, the rear rack was pushed down a little in one corner... the handle bars were pushed down to the tank, fortunatly, they just spun in the clamps... after getting back on & getting into the tight woods section along the river, at the bottom, I realized that the hand brakes had also spun & I had to stop, for second & pull up the brake, so I could reach it... 2-3 more laps & the race was over for me... back at the pits, when Dan came in, I could see he was one of the many that had found a tree ... I think every utility had bent bumpers, or broken plastic on the front end...

A special thanks to the Webster County Wheelers... the track was awesome looking forward to seeing all you guys next time...

This isn't a formal challenge or anything, but I don't believe there is an other large bore utility class quad out there, that is going to be able to keep up with Mike Pendland / team Kawasaki , or the local Fort Dodge Iowa boys ... I think those 650 / 700 Prairies were turning lap times faster than the "A " class 2 X 4's... the $30,000.00 pro purse should attract alot of pros, come race or cheer on your favorite team ...If you camera guys want good footage, find the hills... I'll be there...WAM

 

First off, thanks for a over view of the course. If stirring up the pot is your goal. I think there's gonna be a few Predator teams there to argue that cause. You know the Predator don't you. That's an ORIGINAL machine that Polaris came out with, this last year. Not just simply taking someone elses template from 10 years earlier, and modifying it. Keep crowing, it would be nice if Polaris stepped up like Kawi did for a factory team there. I don't think you'd be liking life if Rath showed up with his gear. That would be cool to see the big blue Polaris semi wheel in there.....hmmm, you suppose a few people would get just a bit nervous? The more factory involvement that takes place, the more all of us benefit.

By the way, what's up with the WAM in the signature. Is this the same Bat time, and the same Bat channel? POW, BOOM, CRUNCH?! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

MODQUAD... thanks for the response...yes I wanted to stir up the pot a little...LOL... But mostly wanted to make sure all you Polaris guys knew about the race, & offer up any info for anyone wanting to attend... to race or spectate...

yes I know & repect the Preditor... ( I even list the Preditor on my custom warning label on my Prairie ...LOL... )... I don't know how it will fare against the V Force, but I'm sure it more than holds its own against the KFX / Z 400...

I'm just small time here... If Rath showed up, I'd get in line for his autogragh just the same as the others...

I don't come over here bashing you guys, so I'm sure a lot of you don't recognize my sig.... WAM... it's just my initials backwards... left over from the old vidio games when I was a kid ( you were only allowed 3 letters to sign your high score ) ... as a teenager, I couldn't be signing those high scores with ... MAW...LOL... do you remember pak man & asteroids ... LOL

The Webster County Wheelers will be holding an ATV pull on Sunday following the race, & Friday night the pits will be open for kids trick or treating & to talk to the drivers & get autographs...

best luck to any of the racers racing the Polaris's & let me know if I can offer up any info...WAM

 

Just poking back at you. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] Good luck racin'!!!!